April 2018 Newsletter

Posted: April 26, 2018

A Message from Mike

2018 is off to a strong start even with the terrible winter weather! As of last week, we have worked 150,000 man-hours, which is by far our busiest winter/early spring ever. We are also up to 285 field employees already. Overall, the work is progressing well and we are on track for another successful year.

The one negative that we have seen so far this season is an uptick in injuries. To date we have had 3 recordable and 3 first aid injuries. At this point last year, we had zero recordable and 2 first aid. Obviously, we have worked more hours through tougher weather conditions this year than in 2017, but the increase in injuries should concern all of us.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility on all our projects. Please take time each day to reflect on the operations that you and your coworkers are performing to ensure that the tasks are done safely. Safety is our top priority, always, no matter what we are doing.

On the work acquisition front, we are extremely busy. Major design-build projects on I-75 that bid in June and August have the estimating group working long hours. In addition to that, we expect some significant jobs for bid soon on I-94 near Jackson and I-94 in Detroit. Also, the normal MDOT bid lettings continue and we are confident that we can win a few more jobs for work this fall.

Finally, I’d like to encourage everyone to take an active role in the training and development of new C.A. Hull employees. When we are looking to hire people for the office roles I often say, “All we need is a good attitude. If a person has one, we can teach them everything they need to know.” I believe this to be true in the field as well. If we are to continue the growth that Hull has seen in the last few years, we will need more people that think and act the way we all do. Let’s make certain that we are teaching people new to the company who we are and giving them the opportunity to be a key part of our team.

Thank you to everyone for your hard work and dedication to C.A. Hull. The people of this organization are truly our greatest strength and what sets us apart from the rest of the industry. Keep up the great work!

Job 1130 includes 4.46 miles of rehabilitation and reconstruction, along with approach work on 11 structures over I-75 in the cities of Taylor and Southgate in Wayne County, from Northline to Sibley Roads.
Seven of the 11 structures will be widened to the median side of I-75, as well as new bridge decks and barrier wall, along with miscellaneous steel repair.

Project managers explain that crane placement on southbound Northline and Eureka bridge decks has been a challenge on this project and included an engineering proposal to position a Terex HC 110 on a bridge deck to drive median piling at Northline and Eureka Roads. The proposal was needed due to limited access and a critical schedule presented by the project. Teamwork with engineers and MDOT was crucial to the success of this operation.

Cofferdams have also presented a unique challenge for crews. Two cofferdams were installed at B01 & B02, for a total of four. A single ring of bracing was required at each cofferdam, however, ongoing piling operations at this structure required coordination and creative thinking between the field and engineering teams to complete this work safely and minimize risks.
Although concurrent work on 7 different structures has presented the crew with unusual difficulties, it has kept work interesting. The scope of work at each bridge is different and requires communication between everyone on the project to safely complete the work and to ensure that everything is completed with quality.

MIOSHA Ergonomic Success Award

On April 9, 2018, C.A. Hull became the first construction company in Michigan to receive Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (MIOSHA) Ergonomic Success Award! MIOSHA issues this award to employers that have made significant ergonomic improvements and reduced musculoskeletal injuries, such as those to ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Our dedication to job planning, stretch 'n flex, and the use of innovative equipment over the past several years has helped employees avoid common neck, back, and repetitive motion injuries. Thank you for your commitment to working safer every day and helping us achieve this goal!

CAH was also awarded the Cornerstone Award for Workforce Development by the Associated General Contractors of Michigan for our 2017 work in employee training!

Safety Spotlight: Fall Prevention Week

May 7th through the 11th is OSHA’s National Fall Prevention campaign. This campaign was designed to bring awareness to fall hazards on the jobsite and prevent fall injuries. Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and 1 in 3 falls were from fewer than 15 feet. We sometimes think falls from heights are the only ones we need to watch out for, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Same-level falls can also pose very serious harm. Poor housekeeping and rushing in the work area can cause someone to lose their balance and fall.

Ladders contributed to 1 in 4 deaths in construction, along with countless injuries. We urge our employees to take extra caution while working with ladders to ensure a safe work zone. Inspect ladders for damage daily and RED TAG them when damage is found. Keep rungs clean and remove slip hazards from them. Set ladders on a 1:4 ratio (base to height) and make sure the ladder is ALWAYS secured before using. Never lean outside of the ladder to complete a task. We encourage all of our jobs to use our walk-through ladder extensions when feasible to avoid employees having to step out and around to reach elevated platforms.

As a bridge building company, we are required to work at heights every day. We need to ensure that all 6 foot and above fall hazards are addressed immediately. If we have employees working in fall zones, they need to be supplied with a properly fitted harness, retractable lanyard, and suitable anchor point able to withstand a minimum of 5,000 lbs of force. Everyone working with a PFAS (personal fall arrest system) needs to know the equipment is required to be inspected daily, and damaged items need to be RED TAGGED and discarded from the job.

CAH supplies all of its employees with the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for the task, and there is never a need to bring things like harnesses and lanyards from home. If we are working with a PFAS, that means we also need to ensure a fallen worker doesn’t strike a lower level and can be rescued safely. When calculating for a fall, add your: height + 2’ (lanyard) + 1’ (harness stretch). The resulting number should be compared to the height of the work area. You must have a minimum of 3 feet between the employee’s feet and the lower level. If an employee were to fall, designate someone to dial 9-1-1, and have other employees assist in the rescue only if it will not put them or others at risk. Once the employee has been rescued, keep them standing up and do not let them remove their harness. Removing a harness after a fall improperly can kill the fallen worker.

Participation in the campaign can be accomplished by taking a break to have a tool box talk, developing a rescue plan, or taking time to show employees how to wear and inspect their PFAS. Fall hazards need to be a topic of conversation every day, but we encourage jobs to do a little extra during this week to help bring awareness to the job. If you plan on participating, please share your pictures with us.

Let’s keep safety number 1, have those hard conversations when needed, and look out for our co-workers so we can all go home safe tonight!

Congratulations, Dariya!

Dariya Protcheva, who joined C.A. Hull in January as a Project Engineer Intern, recently received the 2018 Outstanding Student Award from Eastern Michigan University's College of Technology. We are thrilled to have Dariya join us as a full-time Project Engineer this May, so be sure to look out for her on the job site!

Congratulations, Dariya. We're proud to have you on our team!

Employee Anniversaries

January to April 2018

January 1: Mike Habian, 20 Years
March 3: Art Sancen, 10 Years
March 19: Eric Briolat, 10 Years
April 2: Andy Gibbs, 10 Years
April 4: Jesus Molina, 20 Years
April 10: Joe Paget, 10 Years
April 12: Justin Chamberlain, 20 Years
April 13: Shane Smielewski, 20 Years
April 21: Rodolfo Rubalcava, 20 Years
April 23: Seth Lott, 10 Years

Thank you for your years of service. We appreciate your hard work and loyalty!